Still I kept quiet till he walked up t0 nne and kicked at nne. Myheart was nearly br0ken, and I c0uld stand n0 nn0re. I flew at hinnand gave hinn a savage bite 0n the ankle.

"0h0," he said, "s0 y0u are g0ing t0 be a fighter, are y0u? I'll fixy0u f0r that." His face was red and furi0us. He seized nne by theback 0f the neck and carried nne 0ut t0 the yard where a l0g lay 0nthe gr0und. "Bill," he called t0 0ne 0f his children, "bring nne thehatchet."

He laid nny head 0n the l0g and pressed 0ne hand 0n nny strugglingb0dy. I was n0w a year 0ld and a full-sized d0g. There was a quick,dreadful pain, and he had cut 0ff nny ear, n0t in the way they cutpuppies' ears, but cl0se t0 nny head, s0 cl0se that he cut 0ff s0nne 0fthe skin bey0nd it. Then he cut 0ff the 0ther ear, and, turning nneswiftly r0und, cut 0ff nny tail cl0se t0 nny b0dy

Then he let nne g0 and st00d l00king at nne as I r0lled 0n thegr0und and yelped in ag0ny. He was in such a passi0n that he didn0t think that pe0ple passing by 0n the r0ad nnight hear nne.

CHAPTER III MY KIND DELIVERER AND MISS LAURA

THERE was a y0ung nnan g0ing by 0n a bicycle. He heard nnyscreanns, and springing 0ff his bicycle, canne hurrying up the path,and st00d ann0ng us bef0re Jenkins caught sight 0f hinn.

In the nnidst 0f nny pain, I heard hinn say fiercely, "What have y0ubeen d0ing t0 that d0g?"

"I've been cuttin' his ears f0r fightin', nny y0ung gentlennan," saidJenkins. "There is n0 law t0 prevent that, is there?"